15 August 2020 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement. The peace agreement brought an end to 30 years of conflict. Aceh’s example serves as an inspiration of how, through negotiations and strong political will, peace can be achieved even in the most dire of circumstances.

The European Union is proud to have contributed to the peace process, mediated by former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari, through the Aceh Monitoring Mission deployed under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy, jointly with five member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines and Singapore- as well as Norway and Switzerland. The European Union and its Member States have also significantly contributed to Aceh’s reconstruction. We remain committed to Aceh’s socio-economic development and to the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding. The European Union reiterates its intention to further develop partnerships, together with ASEAN and its member countries, aimed at contributing to peace and security in the region.